Will ceiling fans help cool my home?

Ceiling fans circulate air. They do not ventilate a room or lower the temperature. They simply create a draft. That draft provides a wind-chill effect on our bodies, increasing the evaporation of sweat off the skin and making the room seem cooler.

Whole house or window air conditioners actually cool the temperature of the air. However, the use of ceiling fans can still help reduce energy bills. Because rooms with ceiling fans feel cooler because of the additional air movement, it allows homeowners to set the cooling temperature on the air conditioner higher, reducing energy bills and possibly prolonging the life of the cooling equipment.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, using a ceiling fan with an air conditioning system will allow most people to raise the thermostat temperature setting about 4 degrees without a reduction in comfort. Raising the temperature is what creates the savings, not installing and running the fan. For additional energy savings, turn fans off when exiting a room. Furniture can't "feel" the effect of air movement.

For best efficiency, also consider the type of lights used in the ceiling fans. The fan itself may only be used part of the year; many times lights are used every day. A single bulb can be more efficient than many bulbs and fluorescent lights are far more efficient than incandescent.

John Lewis is the owner of National Property Inspections in Salinas.

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Will ceiling fans help cool my home?

Ceiling fans circulate air. They do not ventilate a room or lower the temperature. They simply create a draft. That draft provides a wind-chill effect on our bodies, increasing the evaporation of